Trump admin appeals order to pay SNAP benefits in full
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President Trump makes an announcement in the Oval Office on Nov. 6. Photo: Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration asked an appeals court to block a judge's ruling that the federal government must pay November SNAP benefits in full by the end of the day.
Why it matters: While millions of households across the country face hunger, the Trump administration is again arguing it does not have to cover the safety net food benefits in full during the government shutdown despite multiple federal courts ordering it to do so.
- Roughly 42 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to help cover the cost of groceries and other necessities, like baby formula.
Driving the news: "This unprecedented injunction makes a mockery of the separation of powers. Courts hold neither the power to appropriate nor the power to spend," the administration's attorneys argued in the filing.
- "Indeed, if every beneficiary of a mandatory spending program could run to court and force the agency to transfer funds from elsewhere, the result would be an unworkable and conflicting plethora of injunctions that reduce the federal fisc to a giant shell game."
Zoom in: U.S. District Court Judge John McConnell Jr. rebuked the administration on Thursday for delaying the release of the funds, saying that "people have gone without for too long" from the bench.
- He then ordered the USDA to make the full payment Friday.
- McConnell also chastised the administration for failing to "consider the practical consequences" that the USDA's original plan would have on beneficiaries.
Context: Earlier this week, the administration announced it would use SNAP's contingency fund to pay out partial benefits, but noted that outdated infrastructure and revised calculations would result in delays.
- The USDA also insists that it doesn't have the authority to provide full funding by tapping additional money set aside for child nutrition programs.
Zoom in: "Senate Democrats have voted 14 times against reopening the government," a USDA spokesperson told Axios in an emailed statement.
- "This compromises not only SNAP, but farm programs, food inspection, animal and plant disease protection, rural development, and protecting federal lands."
By the numbers: The USDA calculated that some recipients would get 65% of what they usually receive for November on Thursday, revising earlier estimations that were riddled with mistakes. Others may receive less.
Threat level: Most people who use SNAP typically exhaust all of their benefits in the same month it's received, Axios' Emily Peck reported.
- As such, some families have been backed into a corner, forced to choose between paying bills and feeding their children as the freeze hits the one-week mark.
What we're watching: The government asked the courts for an immediate administrative stay by 4pm ET Friday.
Go deeper: Trump says SNAP will only get paid after shutdown, defying multiple court orders
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information throughout.
